This cuts to the heart of our fundamental disagreement on how to combat racism. I see identity politics and focussing specifically on racism as undermining a gradual push towards economic socialism. It's a middle class folly, pushing black folks against white folks, gay folks against straight folks. Identity based groups caught up in a confusing mess of lefty infighting that pretty much moves moderates to the right.
I think if you really want to make racism go away you have to target the underlying causes of racism. Crime and poverty are related. You can either over-police or you can attempt to mitigate poverty. America has perfected the former - the UK attempted the latter between 1997-2010. We are by no means a racial utopia - but we sure as hell don't have the armed wing of the state gunning down people with impunity.
You cannot solve bias. No matter how many courses you run (and no matter how profitable they are for the people with a vested interest in continuing to run them) - you cannot end racism by education alone. You have to end racism by community integration. You have to give people the psychological space and the economic resources to mix free from fear. Nothing about identarian politics promotes this. It simply creates divisive groupings who keep wondering why they aren't getting anywhere. Identity politics is a right wing model, it favours niche groups over a collective whole. Even on this platform the kickback has begun and not from the political right - there are only about 8 real Conservatives on here. From moderates and classic liberals like me. We don't buy a mandated utopia because it doesn't work.
Unless the left can take control over the narrative and inform people of all skin colours that the real enemy is poverty, lack of good housing, lack of nursery places, lack of financial planning, lack of subsidised health care - and then get them out to vote on those grounds alone they have a problem. The right will continue to ensure the infighting between the middle class and working class, identity politics and the inevitably confusing narratives that spring from it are an absolute boon to right wing demagoguery. People like a simple message, even if the simple message is 'It's their fault'. Greater equity in institutional spaces comes with economic rebalance not with 'diversity awareness'. It comes with setting up blind systems of selection, not quotas. The former takes longer but the latter remains open to abuse.
Once again, I agree with your conclusions, but I think the methodology of remedy is flawed. That's the discussion I've had with many writers on this platform. It's why I'm frequently labelled a white apologist/racist - but why I'm convinced society will look back at the progress made between MLK and Obama in one breath and then wonder wtf went wrong between 2012 and 2028. Some will say Trump, people like me will say it's the conditions that allowed Trump to get elected and (if this carries on) re-elected.
Great article btw. Still enjoying your work and style, and I hope you're not yet sighing into your morning coffee when you see my name pop up. :o)
